Improved machine for punching-, shearing



om W a tiuiteil 5mm WILLIAM MORE HOUSE, OF BUFFALO,y NEW YORK.

Letters Patent No. 89,062, dated April 20, 1869.

IMPROVED MACHINE FOR PUNCHING, SHEARI'NG, AND STRAIGHTEBIING- FISH-BARS- The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

To all whom it may conce/rn Be it known that I, WILLIAM MoREHoUsn, of Buffalo, in the county of Erie, and State of New York, have invented a new and improved Machine for Punching, Shearing, and Straightening'Metal; and I do hereb y declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof', reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this` specification, in which- Figure l1, sheet- 1, is an elevation of one side of the improved machine.

Figure 2, sheet 1, is a top or plan view of the machine.

Figure 3, sheet l, is a transverse section, taken in a vertical plane, through the centre of the machine, as indicated by red linc X, in fig. 2.

Figure 4, sheet l, is a top view of the die-bed, driving-shaft, and gauge.

Figure 5, sheet 2, is a vertical section, taken longitudinally through the centre of the machine, as indicated by red line Z, in fig. 2.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several tigures.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvelnents on machinery, which is designed for punching, shearing, and straightening long bars or plates of metal, such for example, as the narrow platesused for splicing rails, and known as fish-bars.

The objects which I attain by my invention and improvements are- First, great strength of the resisting and supporting-frame, which is obtained by constructing the frame of two principal horizontal sections, one of which is adapted to serve as a guide for a reciprocating punchfollower, and the other is adapted for receiving the dies and gauge, and serving as a solid foundation, upon which to bolt the upper follower receiving-section, by means of four 'corner bolts, applied as will be hereinafter explained.

Second, a means whereby the punch-block or follower can be adjusted within its frame-section, and caused to rise and descend in a positive'perpendicular plane to the die-bed, whereby the punches will be sure to enter their respective die-blocks in a proper manner, and whereby any wear of the punch-head, and also, of its guiding surfaces, can bc readily compensated for.

Third, a mode of keeping the punches properly cool, by the use of water, which is introduced into chambers, surrounding the shanks of the punches, and allowed to escape from such chambers down the sides of the punches, from the ends of which latter, the water will flow upon and through the die-bed, thereby keeping` the bed, as well as the punches, comparatively cool during the operation of punching hot metal.

Fourth, a combination of shearing and straightening-tools, with a gang of punches, and an adjustable gauge, for readily determining the length of bars required to be treated, all of which will be hereinafter explained.

To enable others skilled in the art to understand my invention, I will describe its construction and operation.

The improved machine, which I am about to describe, has been practically tested, in operations of punching, shearing, and straightening fish-plates for railroad-rails, and will perform these operations, and finish twenty of such plates per minute, or as rapidly as an attendant can remove the stuff from a rolling-machine, and introduce it beneath the punches.

Each plate ,or bar requires four holes to be punched through it, for which purpose I use four punches, c c c c, arranged vertically, at proper distances apart, and secured rigidly into a sectional head, J J', by screws' c', shown in g. l, which head is bevelled so as to be received and held firmly iu place, in ahorizontal dovetail groove, made in the lower end of a vertically-reciprocating block, R, as shown clearly in figs. 3 and 5.

This block R is moved up and down by an eccentric P', on a horizontal transverse shaft P, on one end of which is a large spur-wheel, N, that engages with the teeth ofa smaller wheel, N', on the driving-shaft M.

The block R works up and down, within the upper section B, of avery strong fratrie.

This section B is of a rectangular form, made vertically through it, for receiving said block; and it is also constructed with horizontal recesses, in its inner surfaces, adapted for receiving plates S S, four of which are applied to the corresponding surfaces ofthe block R, above the eccentric-shaft P, and four below this shaft, as shown ings. 3 and 5.

These plates S have set screws h applied to them, which screwsare tapped horizontally, through the four vertical sides of the framev section B, so, that by setting them up, they will press their respective plates S toward the block R.

By means of the screwsvand plates thus arranged, there will be comparatively little frictional surface brought to bear against the block R, and, by adjusting said plates, this block R can be made to preserve a positive perpendicular position with respect to the die-bed beneath it, and prevented from wabbling, in consequence ofthe wearing of its surfaces.

The section B, through which the punchcarrying block works, is provided with a cap, A, which can be removed when desired, and it is also constructed with lugs a a, on opposite sides, near its corners, which are arranged over oii'sets a' a', that extend below the lower end of the section B, and form standards, by which this section is supported upon a bed or lower section G of the trame, so as to leave a space between the two sections B O, large enough to perform the operations of punching, shearing, and straightening.

Through the gli'sets and lugs', above described, holes are-made, vertically, through which strong screw-bolts D are passed, which also pass'through the corners d (l l d ofthe bed O.

By means of the nuts bb b b', bearing on oiisets-a, and the nuts b b b b, bearing on the lugs a, the upward strain against the frame section B, is eiectually resisted.

The lugs a, arranged above the offsets c', of section B, admit of the application of two nuts to each one of v the vertical bolts D, as clearly shown in iig. l.

. of the section G, which will allow access to the chamber T, for removing the bits of metal punched from the plates, and for other purposes.

On one side ofthis section G is a bearing, O', which, with the outerbearing O, supports the ends of the driving-shaft M, on which are keyed the pinion-spur N', and a belt-wheel, M.

On the other end of this shaft a balance-wheel will be applied for regulatingor equalizing the motion of the machine.

The dovetail-groove, which is made longitudinally through the bed C, in a horizontal plane, is adapted for receiving in it the bevelled die-blocks e, and straightening-bed e', together with a key or gib t, which is used, as shown in iig. 3, on oneside of said blocks and bed, for the purpose of confining them rigidly in place.

These blocks e are perforated vertically, with down- .wardly-arin g holes V, which allow the circular bits of metal, pnnchedfrom the plates, to escape freely into chamber T, beneath the blocks e.

These blocks are spaced properly by means ,of pieces 2 2, so that the axes of the holes V will exactly coincide with the axes of their respective punchesc.

l Blocks e, as well as the bed-piece c', are grooved in their upper surfaces, so that, collectively, they form a channel for receiving and guiding the fish-plates through the machine, and affording a solid bed, which conforms transversely to the shape of said plates in cross-section, as shown in figs. 3, 4, and 5.

Directly opposite this channel is a gauge-plate, F, which is arranged at right angles to and receives loosely, through its ends, two supporting screw-rods H H, ex-

tendin g out, longitudinally from the rear end of the die` bed, in a horizontal plane, upon which rods nuts f f are applied, for confining the gauge-plate F at any required distance from the rearmost punch c, according to the length of the fish-plates -to be made.

By adjusting this gauge-blade upon its rods H H, and iixing it by nuts ,f j", the machine is Vadapted for cutting off the said fish-plates to any desired length.

For cutting or shearing, the vertical shear nis used, as shown in iigs. 3 and 5. It is adjustably attached to the rear end of the punch-'head J J by set-screws, so that-its lower end, or shearing edge will work close to the rearmost piece 2, which latter, as well as the shear, may be made of steel, to render it durable.

At the front end of the punch-head J J is avertical plate, W, whichl isvertically adjustable, and which should be so adj usted with respect to the termination of the descending strokes of the punches, that, at the instant a sh-plate is punched through, the end of plate W will press the front part of such fish-plate down hard upon the straightening-bed e.

Thus, it will be seen, that, by the combined operation of the shear n and straightener W, the work will be straightened upon the die-bed.

The punches c c c c, and the upper ends of these punches abut against the block R, as shown in fig; 5.

The upper horizontal section ,Jof the punch-head has chambers t formed in it, surrounding the several punches c, which chambers communicate with each other through apertures j, and receive water from a reservoir, by means of a fiexible pipe, Y, which water is discharged upon the lower exposed ends of the punches, through apertures made through section J, and indicated by dotted lines in fig. 5.'

This will prevent the punches from becoming injuriously hot. The water also cools the shear n and the die-blocks e; through which it iiows. i

The red lines K representa perforated plate, which is arranged horizontally over the die-bed, so that the fish-plates pass under it, and so that the punches pass through its perforations.

This plate K is fixed rigidly in position, and serves as a stripper, to prevent the sh-plates from rising with the punches as they recede from their work.

If desirable, a shear-blade may be -pivoted to one end of one of the screw-rods H, so as to cut on the upper edge of the gauge-plate F, and thereby serve as av means for squaring the end of a bar or blank of metal, preparatory to commencing the operation of punching, straightening, and cutting.

Having described my invention,

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The frame B, constructed with lugs a, and oiisets l af, for receiving screw-rods D, and confining-nuts b b',

. and adapted to operate substantially as and for the purposes described. Y

2. The arrangement herein described and shown, of the punch-carrying head J J', furnished withfa series of chambers, which are in communication with one another. and which separately conduct liquid tb the heated parts of the punches and dies, the followerblock R, the flexible pipe V, and the dies e e, all constructed substantially 4as described.

3. The arrangement of shear or cutter n, stationary cutter 2, straightener W, grooved block e, and die-blocks c, and punches c, substantially as and for the purposes described.

4. In combination with the arrangement of the devices in the foregoing clause, the adjustable gaugeplate F, substantially as described.

5. The improved machine, herein described, for punching, straightening, gauging, and shearing concavo-convex fish-bars, having its parts constructed, combined, arranged, and operated substantially as described.

WILLIAM MOREHOUSE.

Witnesses:`

D. E. BROWN, Gno. B. WALBRIDGE. 

